Holiday season seems to creep up on us every year. Just as we think we’ve gotten through the hustle and bustle of yet another stressful holiday surge we find ourselves preparing for it all over again. As a business owner the most important thing you can do before the holiday season is to plan ahead. Mid-year is the ideal time to start your planning. This will guarantee you and your business are ready for the crowds of shoppers and increase in sales that lies ahead. During your planning stage you should consult with last year sales so you have a better idea of what will be expected. Did you have enough staff to fulfill orders? Might you need to consider hiring seasonal or temporary orders during this time? Identify any problems that arose so you don’t run into them. It’s a good idea to let your team know what to expect. They should be made aware as to what your expectations are of them. Are there any new procedures you have incorporated that they should be aware of? Additionally, be open to suggestions they may have to help the season run more smoothly.

In planning ahead, you will need to make sure there will be enough inventory at its disposal to cover the increase in sales. Be prepared to shell out some extra cash because most likely you will not have the inventory to cover this increase in production. This is another good time to look back at the sales from the previous season. You may find items that were in high demand that will likely be the case again this year. How can you guarantee inventory will arrive on time? If your business is online be sure you’re familiar with the shipping timeframes that are available to you. It’s important to keep customers happy and there’s nothing worse than receiving their package late, or worse, after the holiday season.

Lastly, make sure your consumers are well aware of your own shipping deadlines. Post them clearly and concisely and easy to find. Include this on your company website as well as any social media sites.